


The Storm-Weaver

by republic



Category: The Sea Witch - Adrien Amilhat (Painting 2017)
Genre: F/F, Femslash Festivus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:27:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28031610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/republic/pseuds/republic
Summary: A tale of the Sea Witch, including her origins, an unconventional source of advice, and a warning to never bargain away your first-born...
Comments: 5
Kudos: 10
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	The Storm-Weaver

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Deepdarkwaters](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deepdarkwaters/gifts).



A long time ago, far off in the North-West, the Sea Witch decided to settle down on a deserted stretch of coastline near the fishing village of Kinlochaiteig. She walked out of the ocean, wrapping a storm around her like a cloak, and the fishermen of Kinlochaiteig battened down the hatches and hid.

The Sea Witch was not unreasonable, however, she just wanted to be left in peace and quiet. So she sent for one of the village elders, and they struck a bargain. She would keep the worst of the storms away from their boats and in return they would leave her alone and once a year at Samhain put out offerings of fish, a little money and a wee dram outside each household at nightfall. Each year, come the witching hour, a dense fog rolled in off the sea, and in the morning the offerings would be gone, and the air in the village would seem fresher for a few days.

Sometimes a household would neglect to leave the customary offering out; they would wake to a foul smell in the kitchen which lingered no matter what they did. This little hint was usually sufficient.

And so things remained for many years; the folk of Kinlochaiteig prospered, although not enough to attract undue attention. Their catches were just a little more than you might expect, and somehow their sailors always came home safely no matter what the weather did. The villagers were grateful, and parents taught their children how to keep their bargain with the Sea Witch.

#### 

***

The desperate or the foolish would sometimes seek to bargain with the Sea Witch. Derek, being a young man in love with a woman who did not love him back, was both. So late one evening, he walked to the seashore, and summoned the Sea Witch by picking up a bit of driftwood and snapping it. "What brings you to the sea this late in the day, young man?" came a voice from behind him, making him jump, "Do you mean to bargain with the Sea Witch?" Derek quailed, but managed to ask anyway, "Y-yes. I love Fiona and want to wed her, but she ignores my advances. Can you do me a spell?"

"You ask me to bewitch a woman so she will marry you?" The Sea Witch asked, and her anger was like the gathering of a storm. "You want me to strip away her will and bind her to your selfish purpose? If I did this, you would be her jailer, not her husband! Every day you would look at her and see not your lover but your captive! How can you ask such a thing!?"

Derek sank to his knees in terror and confusion. "I... I hadn't even thought of it like that! No, you are right, I cannot ask you to do such a thing. But...", and here he faltered, "but... I love her, and she will barely even talk to me. Can you help?"

"I can help you, young man," said the Sea Witch, who now sounded more amused than angry. "But there will be a price, of course. If I tell you how to woo your beloved and win her heart, you must both invite me to your wedding. Do you agree?" And suddenly she was holding out a small driftwood pin.

Derek got to his feet, and after a moment's thought, took the pin and stuck it through his jacket lapel. "I do."

"Your problem, young Derek, is that you have spent the last few years chasing the maidens in this village and a number of others up and down the coast. You lure them to your bed or a convenient barn with talk of love, you have your way with them, and then you move on to the next. Everyone knows this. Fiona knows this. She is a sensible and pious young lady, and will not share your bed until you are married. If you would woo her, you must find ways to spend time with her where there can be no possibility that you're about to try and bed her. Show her you can be kind and respect her as a person to love not an object to conquer, and you will find she comes to like you better. Now go, and remember our bargain!" With that, the Sea Witch strode into the surf and was gone.

Derek took to heart the Sea Witch's counsel, and in time he wooed Fiona and she came to love him. And so, one summer evening as the sun was setting over the sea, Derek proposed marriage to Fiona, and she accepted. He set a ring on her finger and a kiss on her lips, and then paused, remembering he had a bargain to keep. With a lump in his throat, he pulled the driftwood pin from his jacket and snapped it. Fiona's question died on her lips as the Sea Witch (who was fond of a good entrance) strode out of the sea before them.

"Well, well, well," she said, "I gather congratulations are in order to you both. And I know what you are thinking, Fiona. You are wondering if Derek made me put a spell on you to make you love him, are you not?" Fiona nodded. "Well, let me put your mind to rest. I would not do such a thing, and that is not the bargain we made. I merely told him how best to woo you, in return for an invitation to your wedding."

Fiona was briefly speechless, before spluttering "You went to the Sea Witch... for courting advice?!?!?"

"Well," began Derek, haplessly, "um..."

Laughing, the Sea Witch intervened, "You must agree, Fiona, I gave him good advice, did I not? I knew you found him handsome but feared he would mistreat you, so I told him he had to mend his ways if he were to woo you. And here you both are."

Fiona grinned at that, and took Derek's hand in hers again. "Well, then, you are now the first person we've invited to our wedding. Um, how should we send you a formal invitation...?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, I will know where and when to be. And I will look a bit less fearsome than this, too, so folk will not even know the Sea Witch is in their midst."

Derek and Fiona were wed later that year, and the Sea Witch came in a fine but not showy dress the colour of the sea on a summer's day. Derek and Fiona were surprised at her appearance, since she looked like a woman in her twenties not an old crone; they would have been even more surprised to learn that this was the Sea Witch's true form. It was a joyous day, and everyone danced until late in the evening. "Congratulations again, you two," said the Sea Witch to the happy couple as she departed, "I have left you a small gift. Like all good candles, you will find it helps to clear the air." And she walked into the night, leaving Derek and Fiona happy if a little confused.

A few weeks later, Derek and Fiona were arguing. It matters not what they were arguing about, but tempers had frayed and voices were raised. Fiona remembered the words of the Sea Witch, just as she was about to hurl more invective at Derek. She went over to the mantelpiece where they'd put the Sea Witch's candle, and lit it. A breath of sea air blew through the room, bringing with it the soothing effect of looking at a calm sea on a warm day. Derek stopped preparing his next line of argument, and looked at Fiona, and apologised. She smiled at him, and said she was sorry too, and they embraced and settled their disagreement without further rancour.

Theirs was a long and happy marriage. The Sea Witch's candle never quite seemed to burn down entirely, and whenever they found themselves angry or falling out one or other of them would go to the mantelpiece and light the candle and they would find a better way to resolve their quarrel.

#### 

***

One year, Duncan MacCraig announced that he didn't believe in the Sea Witch, and that he would not be wasting any more good fish on an old wives' tale. He was drunk at the time, and the other fishermen in the bar told him to shut up and go home, and thought nothing more of it. But Duncan was a proud man, and vowed he had meant every word of what he said. He left nothing for the Sea Witch that year, and didn't seem to care about the stink that lingered in his kitchen.

A couple of days later, Duncan was out fishing when a storm blew up. Duncan had weathered many storms in his life, and so didn't pay it much mind. But the wind blew stronger, and the sea became angrier, and his boat was tossed hither and yon. Duncan was frightened. A wave swamped the deck, nearly sweeping him overboard, and leaving a number of branches of driftwood scattered on the deck. That was when Duncan knew he was really in trouble - everyone knew you broke a branch of driftwood to summon the Sea Witch. Trembling, he grabbed a branch and snapped it - the rotten wood yielding easily. A great wave towered over the bow, and crashed down upon his boat, and Duncan had to hold on with all his might lest he be swept to his doom. When he looked up again, there the Sea Witch stood, in a black dress, and her eyes were the colour of the deepest ocean. Duncan wept in terror.

The Sea Witch spoke, and her voice was the grinding of sailors' bones at the bottom of the sea, "Duncan MacCraig! How do you feel about an old wives' tale now?"

Duncan just stared, too frightened to speak.

"Come on boy, you must have something to say for yourself!"

"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry for saying you didn't exist! I'll put out your offering in future! Please don't kill me!"

The Sea Witch said nothing, and another huge wave swept across the deck.

Duncan took the hint, "All right, I'm sorry! If you let me live, I'll leave you out a whole bottle of whisky each year. And a good one at that! Please!?"

After a moment which felt like a lifetime to Duncan, the Sea Witch nodded, "Your terms are acceptable. Do not disappoint me next Samhain!" And she stepped off his boat into the swell. The storm calmed soon after that, and a chastened Duncan returned safely to port. His boat was damaged, but not beyond repair.

Duncan kept his promise, and while he never spoke of what had happened to him, he was quick to tell anyone who thought otherwise that the Sea Witch was not to be trifled with.

#### 

***

Towards the end of the twentieth century, Thomas Lennox, a young and ambitious man, decided to seek out the Sea Witch. He waited for a day when the sea mist sat thick over the village, and then slipped down to the waterside, snapped a branch of driftwood and waited.

"Not the sort of day wise men are abroad," said the Sea Witch, "you never know what rocks you might run into in this fog."

"I'll bear that in mind," Thomas said, his tone suggesting he would do no such thing, "but I sought you out for more than folk wisdom. I want to be rich, properly rich, and I want a big house in a good bit of land but not far from the middle of the village, and to marry a beautiful woman, and to live a long and healthy life. Can you do this?"

"I could do these things," said the Sea Witch, "but you would not like the cost. That sort of wealth will set you apart from your fellows, a distance you will struggle to close."

Thomas was not concerned with such trifles. "Name your price, Sea Witch, and see if I am man enough to bear it!"

"Very well," she said, and a wise man would have heeded the warning in her tone, "I will do this thing, and you will give me your first-born child when they reach their 18th year of your own free will. Do you agree?" And she held out a driftwood necklace.

Thomas took it, "I agree. Now get to work!"

The Sea Witch clapped her hands, and a storm started to rise. The wind blew the mist away, but thunderclouds blotted out the sun, and waves began to crash against the rocks on which she stood. She drew a shuttle from her pocket, and dipped it into a crashing wave. And Thomas saw that the sea had made the weft. As the next wave broke, the Sea Witch drew the waters up, and they formed her warp. Each time the wave-front reached the shore, she drew up more water, passed her shuttle through the wave, and so she wove a great net.

When she was done, she dropped it at Thomas's feet. "Use this net in your boat, and you will catch more than any man, and it will never tear."

Thomas gathered the net, and dragged it to his boat, without a word of thanks. The Sea Witch was good to her word, though, and he found his catches were soon the envy of all of Kinlochaiteig. And Thomas began to become, if not rich, then at least well off.

But Thomas was an ambitious and impatient man, and he was not satisfied. Less than a year after their first meeting, he again broke a driftwood branch on the foreshore.

The Sea Witch was unimpressed. "You summon me again, young man? You would be wise not to waste my time!"

Thomas was unrepentant. "You promised me riches. I'm not rich, and I'm not getting rich any time soon from fishing. Keep your side of the bargain!"

The Sea Witch turned her back on him, and strode back into the sea. "It is not my fault you ceased buying lottery tickets after we last spoke."

In a rare moment of humility, Thomas had to concede she had a point.

Thomas became rich, and was able to commission an architect to build him the house of his dreams, set well back in its plot of land but a comfortable walk to the pub. And if anyone thought it rather ostentatious, they never said as much to his face. And he married Naomi, who was very beautiful, and hosted the grandest wedding Kinlochaiteig had ever seen. Not long afterwards, they conceived, and Naomi gave birth to a girl, who they called Ruth. Thomas laughed when he learned that his child was a girl, thinking to himself that the Sea Witch surely had no use for a girl.

Ruth was a bonny child with red hair like her mother's, and her parents loved her very much. Alas, their happiness was short-lived. Naomi was out cycling one day, and was hit by a car; the driver was distracted by the beautiful scenery, and he didn't see her until it was too late. His lawyers managed to persuade the jury that he'd been blinded by the sun, however, so he was acquitted on the charge of causing death by careless driving.

#### 

***

Despite this early shock, Ruth grew to be a happy child, who loved to walk by the sea (and sometimes swim in it). She had a fine singing voice and was skilled at the harp. By the time she turned 18, her father had conveniently forgotten his bargain with the Sea Witch, and so she went off to university in Edinburgh to study music, coming home for the Christmas holiday.

The Sea Witch, meanwhile, had watched the child grow and develop, and had not forgotten.

Thomas was in the habit of hosting a ceilidh for Hogmanay and inviting the entire village. So the Sea Witch made herself a beautiful but unostentatious dress, and went along. Ruth was also there; she had grown into a beautiful woman, and spent much of the evening putting up with the advances of a number of men. The Sea Witch, though she too was attractive, didn't have this problem, as her piercing glare was enough to dissuade anyone who might have been inclined to touch more than he ought.

Towards the end of the evening, Ruth was sat at the side of the hall, feeling generally fed up. Choosing her moment, the Sea Witch sat next to her, and asked with unfeigned sympathy "What is the matter? You look rather harassed."

"Harassed is the word," sighed Ruth, "I'm fed up of these men who think a dance is just an excuse to cop a feel. Some of them are old enough to be my dad! And we're nearly at the last dance of the night, which'll be a waltz; so whichever of them gets here first to ask me to dance will end up groping me whether I like it or not!"

"That does sound vexing. Although if you don't want to dance with any of these men, an obvious solution does present itself. I can definitely promise no groping!"

"Well," Ruth laughed, "when you put it like that..."

So, as the penultimate dance was drawing to its close, the Sea Witch stood, offered Ruth her hand, and asked her to dance. Ruth accepted with a grin, and they took to the floor together. The band struck up, and they danced. They danced, and were caught up in the magic of music and movement as the Sea Witch steered them gently round the dance-floor; so that for a few minutes no-one else in the world mattered. And then the band was onto the final phrase, and as they slowed to a halt, the Sea Witch gracefully turned Ruth under her arm, thanked her for the dance, and slipped away into the night.

The following day, Ruth found herself captivated by the memory of that final dance, but mystified as to who her partner had been. She was surprised to discover that no-one knew exactly who she was, nor seemed that interested. "Oh, I've seen her round a few times", the pub landlord said, "I think she lives a bit further up the coast. No, I don't know her name. I'm sure she'll be round again at some point."

Try as she might, Ruth found no trace of her dance partner. Until, that was, the day before she was due to return to university. She was walking along a cliff-top path when she saw the Sea Witch sat on a bench looking out to sea. "There you are!", cried Ruth, "I've been looking all over for you!"

The Sea Witch turned, smiled, and made room on the bench. "Ah, yes, we danced at Hogmanay, did we not? How are you?" Ruth sat, "Well, thank you. But confused. No-one in Kinlochaiteig seems to know who you are or where you come from. And none of them think this is unusual. It's like their attention just sorts of slides away from the topic. Why is that? And who are you?"

"What a lot of questions when we have hardly been introduced!" The Sea Witch sounded amused, "You can call me Mhairi if you like. But I don't think you told me your name...?"

"Oh, sorry, how rude of me! I'm Ruth. It's nice to meet you, and I must say you dance really well."

"That's very kind of you - you are no slouch yourself! I was sitting here with a view to watching the sunset; so if you are not in a hurry, we might sit and talk a while?"

"I'd like that," said Ruth, and so they sat together looking out to sea, and talked a little as the sun eased towards the horizon. It was a particularly fine sunset, the last embers of light reflecting off a few scattered clouds. Ruth stood a little reluctantly, and prepared to go "Well, this has been lovely, but I should be getting home. And then I'm back to Edinburgh tomorrow."

"Thank you for the company, Ruth, and perhaps I will see you when you are back from university. I shall sit a little longer and then had better be going myself."

So Ruth waved and headed home. As she did so, she realised that while she knew Mhairi's name, she still didn't know much else about her - somehow the conversation had steered away from any further details of Mhairi's life...

#### 

***

Ruth returned from university for the Spring vacation, and the very next morning went out to look for Mhairi. She found her sat on the same bench as last time. The Sea Witch rose to greet her "Ah! Back from university, then. I hope you had a good time?".  
"Yes, thank you. I wondered if I might find you here."  
"Shall we walk? It's a bit chilly still to sit still."  
"Sure." So they strolled together along the cliff-top paths, and Ruth talked about her time at Edinburgh; she was a naturally chatty person, and the Sea Witch was a good listener. Eventually, the found themselves back at the bench where they'd started. "Well," began the Sea Witch, "this has been very pleasant, but I shouldn't take up any more of your day. Though maybe you will be wanting a walk tomorrow morning?"  
"Yes, that would be great."

They continued thus for the next couple of weeks, until it was again time for Ruth to go back to university. After their walk on her last day at home, Ruth seemed a little sad. "What's the matter?" asked the Sea Witch.  
"Well, I hope you don't think I'm being silly Mhairi, but I've really enjoyed these times we've spent together, and I think I'm going to miss you when I'm back at uni. Hug?"  
"That's not at all silly. I am going to miss you too!" And they hugged, for quite some time, before Ruth pulled away "I should be going. See you in the summer!"  
"Have fun, and good luck with your exams!"

#### 

***

By the time Ruth was home for the Summer it was warm and sunny even in the North-West of Scotland, with just enough of a sea breeze to keep the midges away. Sure enough, when she got to the usual bench, the Sea Witch was there waiting for her. Ruth ran to her and flung her arms around her "Mhairi! It's so good to see you again" The Sea Witch beamed. "I'm delighted you're back again. Shall we walk?" As they set off, Ruth slipped her hand into the Sea Witch's and they walked hand in hand; Ruth had plenty of stories to tell of her time in Edinburgh, and the Sea Witch was again happy to listen. When they got back to the bench, the Sea Witch asked "Since it's nice enough to be outside in the evenings, how would you feel about a drink at the pub later? They have some tables with sea views" Ruth thought for a moment "It's a nice idea, but after having been away to Edinburgh, I'm not sure I can cope with 'just a half for the lass, then?' any more!"  
"Oh don't worry, no-one is going to try and sell me beer by the half pint!"  
"A deal, then," Ruth grinned, "I'll see you there about eight."

In the way of these things, the Sea Witch's preferred table was empty when she arrived a couple of minutes before Ruth. "Hello Ruth, what will you have?"  
"Pint of heavy, thanks!" The Sea Witch left Ruth at their table and went inside, returning a few minutes later with two pints. "OK, I'm impressed", said Ruth, "I didn't think I'd see the day that place would sell beer by the pint to women. You have to tell me your secret!"  
"I most certainly do not have to! But maybe one day I will. Anyhow, slàinte!". It was a warm and sunny evening, and stayed light until late; and thus they sat and drank and talked and laughed until closing time. When they got up to go Ruth found herself a little unsteady on her feet. "Oh, oops. Maybe I had one too many!" The Sea Witch offered her her arm "Here, let me walk you home. Don't want you twisting an ankle."  
"You're really nice, you are!"

They walked without mishap to the end of the drive leading to Ruth's house. "I always seem to forget," mused the Sea Witch, "quite how big your father's house is." Ruth looked a bit embarrassed. "He won the lottery, didn't he?"  
"So I hear. Anyway, promise me you will have some water before bed? You will feel better in the morning if you do."

"I'm not that drunk!" objected Ruth, "Well, OK, maybe I am. I think... I think I fancy you. We could snog?"

The Sea Witch smiled, a little sadly, "Perhaps see if you still think that in the morning? I would not want anyone thinking I had got you drunk to take advantage of you..."

"Maybe I want to be taken advantage of! What if I'm not brave enough in the morning?" Ruth pouted a little.

The Sea Witch ruffled her hair fondly. "Well, then I will certainly have my regrets. But go, have a good night's sleep, and I shall see you tomorrow?"  
"You bet! And I will have some water before bed." Ruth hugged the Sea Witch and staggered up the drive. The Sea Witch waited until she'd made it as far as the front door before departing herself.

The following morning was overcast and a little chilly. Still, Ruth seemed cheerful enough as she sat down next to the Sea Witch. "How's your head?" the Sea Witch asked  
"Actually OK, thanks. Drinking some water before bed really helped. Sorry, I got pretty drunk last night. I hope I wasn't too annoying!"  
"Not at all!"

There was a slightly awkward pause. "Look, about what I said yesterday," Ruth hesitated, "I don't want to mess up our friendship by being weird or hitting on you if you're not interested, and I didn't even think I was into women, but. I really look forward to our time together, and when you hug me my heart thrills, and I'm babbling because I'm scared but I..." and then she put her arms round the Sea Witch and kissed her tentatively. The Sea Witch sighed, "Ah, Ruth, I never thought that I might fall for you like this", and they kissed again, more passionately. After a while, they did go for their usual walk.  
"Mhairi, do you like swimming? I know it's a bit colder today, but we've had a lot of good weather recently, and I've not been in the sea in ages."  
"Now that is a good idea! I love to swim in the sea"

Sure enough, it was sunny again the next day. As Ruth arrived at their usual meeting spot, she saw the Sea Witch had a bag at her feet. Hearing her approach, the Sea Witch stood up to greet her. "I brought my towel," she said. Ruth grinned, "Me too! And I was organised enough to put my costume on under my clothes this morning."  
"Ah."  
"Ah?"  
"Well, I do not in fact own a swimming costume."

Ruth looked shocked. "What?"  
"Well, I only ever swim in the sea, and the feeling of the sea against your skin is really good. So why bother with a costume?"  
"Aren't you worried someone will see you?"  
"Oh, no, I know a lovely secluded bay where no-one ever goes. Shall I show you?"  
"That sounds nice," Ruth blushed, "but, um, you don't mind if I keep my costume on?"  
"Of course not. Whatever works for you." And the Sea Witch hugged Ruth again, before taking her by the hand and leading the way.

The path they took gradually became indistinct, until it was blocked by what looked like a very poorly-maintained dry-stone wall. "Where are we going?" asked Ruth, "I've never been this way, and it doesn't look very safe."  
"Like I said, it's a very secluded bay. Follow me, and you won't have any problems getting over the wall." And so it proved; Ruth watched how the Sea Witch clambered over the wall and found that following her over it was no trouble at all. On the other side, she could see a lovely cove, towards which they descended on a suddenly much clearer path.

They swam for quite some time, then sat on the beach in the sunshine, the Sea Witch wrapped in her towel. "Would you sing for me, please?" asked the Sea Witch, "I've never heard you singing, and you're doing it at university..." "OK," replied Ruth, standing up, "I can serenade you in my swimsuit!" They both laughed. Then Ruth began to sing _Gur tu mo bhean chomain_ , a song of love and longing. The Sea Witch listened, rapt. "Thank you! That's a lovely song, and you have a beautiful voice. Much like the rest of you!"

Ruth toyed with the strap of her swimming costume. "Are you sure we won't be overlooked here?" The Sea Witch smiled broadly; but after a moment she looked sad and sighed "Ruth, my love, I have something to tell you; can you promise to keep my secret?".  
"Of course!"  
"Well. You've probably noticed some slightly strange things since we have been courting - there is this beautiful beach a short walk from Kinlochaiteig that no-one knows about, and of course no-one in the village knows who I am or seems to think they should be interested in finding out? Well, that is because I am the Sea Witch."

Ruth stepped back, horrified. "You're the Sea Witch? The one they tell all those stories about? The one we leave _offerings_ to at Samhain?"  
"The very same."  
"You must be ancient!"  
"I wouldn't put it quite..."  
But Ruth wasn't really listening to the answer, and her questions kept coming, "Am I under a spell? Is that even what you really look like? Is Mhairi even your name? Do I have any say in all of this?"

"Of course you do!" cried the Sea Witch, stung, "Of course you do! You're not under any spell, and I will never use magic on you without your permission!" She paused, and continued in a quieter voice, "Sorry, your questions are fair, and I will answer them. This is my real appearance; I look like an old woman to the men of the village when I am doing magics, because that is what they think a witch should look like, so they are inclined to take me seriously. Few folk have ever called me by my name, but it is Mhairi. You are free to do as you wish, I promise to neither trick nor compel you. I should perhaps have told you sooner, but when? If I had told you when we first met, you would have been too afraid to get to know me at all. I love you, Ruth."

Ruth started to get dressed. "This is all too much, Mhairi. I... I think I need some space to think about that. Can you do that for me? Please don't come searching for me, I'll find you when I'm ready."

The Sea Witch just nodded sadly; and sat and watched as Ruth finished dressing and then headed back to Kinlochaiteig.

The next morning, the Sea Witch sat at their usual bench. But Ruth didn't come. And the Sea Witch wept bitterly, and soon the sky wept with her. Ruth looked at the rain out of her window and she knew the Sea Witch wept for her. But she was still hurt herself, and stayed at home.

The following day was bright and sunny, and Ruth thought to herself "does Mhairi forget me so soon?", and she stayed at home. But the Sea Witch had not forgotten, and again she sat on the bench and wept.

On the third day, Ruth stayed at home; she wasn't sure why, but she didn't feel ready to go to the Sea Witch. On the morning of the fourth day, Ruth nearly went out, but then she thought "I can't just turn up now; Mhairi will be angry with me for making her wait so long", and stayed at home.

So the day came when Ruth had to return to university, and she had still not sought out the Sea Witch. So she walked down to the bench where they met, but the Sea Witch was not there. For the Sea Witch had come to the bench every morning for a week, and had wept when Ruth did not come to her; but after that week the Sea Witch did not return. And Ruth went to university, with sorrow in her heart.

#### 

***

Some way through the term, Chris, one of her friends, sat down with Ruth over a cup of tea. "What's up?" Chris asked, "You've been miserable ever since you arrived at the start of semester." "Oh Chris," sighed Ruth, "I've been such an idiot. I met someone back home, and we fell in love. And then I screwed everything up."  
"What happened?"  
"We'd had a lovely day at the beach, and I was thinking of coming on to them, when they told me they were older than they looked; I mean quite a lot older than me, and I freaked out. And I said that I needed some time and they shouldn't come after me, and they didn't. But I didn't go to them - at first because I was hurt and confused, and then it had been too long, and I didn't feel I could just be 'right, let's get back together'. And I miss them terribly, but it'll have been months by the time I get home, so I can hardly just say 'I want to see you now', can I?" And she wept again.  
"Oh Ruth," said Chris sympathetically, "You should just have gone to them as soon as you were ready."  
"I know! But what can I do now?"  
"Well, for now try and get your head into this semester; but when you get home you should get back in touch with this person and tell them how you feel about them. I mean, don't just be 'I've decided I like you again', but try and show them that you're making an effort to see them on their terms."

#### 

***

Ruth returned home in late December; a gale was blowing and it was pouring with rain. She had dinner (and a bottle of wine) with her father and then waited for him to retire for the night. She then filled a hip flask, grabbed a torch so she could see where she was going, and headed out into the storm. It was a truly foul night, and by the time she got to the beach she was cold and soaked through despite her raincoat. She stood for a while, draining the hip flask, trying to look out to sea, but it was a dark night and her torch was not strong. For a while she was seized with indecision. Finally, she muttered to herself "Meet them on their own terms! I hope you're right Chris". And she took her clothes off, leaving them neatly folded on the beach, picked up a piece of driftwood and waded into the angry sea.

She had waded some way out when a wave swept her off her feet. Panicking, Ruth realised that she couldn't actually see which way was back to shore, and the cold was already starting to make her legs cramp. "Mhairi?" she cried, and snapped the driftwood as a wave swept over her head. She inhaled seawater and choked. It was so dark and the sea so cold, and Ruth was struggling to stay afloat.

Then she heard a familiar voice. "Ruth? What _are_ you doing?" Ruth made a sound somewhere between a sob and a splutter, and vanished briefly under the water. She was losing the struggle, and it was hard to pay attention to anything but the cold. "Ruth! Listen to me!" The Sea Witch's voice was strong and commanding, and Ruth was alert again briefly. "I can help you, but only if you let me use magic on you. Do you agree?" This was all too confusing. Agree to what? "Ruth! I can only help you if you say I can. Is that all right?" Somehow, Ruth managed to say "Yes", but then another wave swept over her, and she got a mouthful of water and she was sinking and her cold limbs didn't seem to work any more.

Then the Sea Witch wrapped her arms around her, bringing her to the surface again, and Ruth was suffused with warmth. She spat out seawater and gasped for air. "I'm so sorry!" she cried, but the Sea Witch hushed her, "It's all right, let's get you back to land", and brought her to shore. The Sea Witch wrapped Ruth in a garment of seawater, and they sat side by side on the beach. "Do you want to tell me what that was all about?" asked the Sea Witch, "you nearly drowned out there!"  
"I... what am I wearing? And why do I now feel warm, even though it's still tipping with rain and you just pulled me from the sea?"

"A nice attempt at deflection," said the Sea Witch, wryly, "but you are wearing seawater, with a little of my magic. It will keep you warm, since your clothes are soaked through. Now, perhaps you might answer my questions?"

"Um." Ruth wasn't sure quite what to say. "I missed you. Like, really missed you. But after all this time I couldn't just snap some driftwood and expect you to just turn up, could I? I didn't want you to think I took you for granted. So I thought I should try and come to you, be in your element. And, now I think about it, that was really stupid." And she sobbed.

"Yes, it was pretty stupid," the Sea Witch agreed, putting her arm around Ruth, "although I do appreciate the gesture. And you're right - I was hurt when it seemed like you had just walked out of my life never to return. But I have been waiting for you and hoping you'd come back." She kissed her on the forehead. "But now you should go home and get some sleep. Are you going to be all right?"

"I think so," Ruth said, standing up a little unsteadily, and collecting her clothes. "What should I do with this?" she asked, gesturing at the watery garment.  
"It will keep you warm until you get home," answered the Sea Witch, "when you do get home, stand in the bath and clap your hands and it will return to being water and go down the drain; be sure to have a towel ready to dry off with!"

"I don't really know how to thank you, or apologise," Ruth looked like she might start crying again. "Hush," the Sea Witch hugged her, "go home and sleep now, come and find me in the usual place tomorrow? We can talk then when you're rested."

In the morning, the Sea Witch was sat on her customary bench. Ruth arrived, looking a little sheepish. Seeing her, the Sea Witch rose, and opened her arms in greeting. Ruth flung herself into the Sea Witch's embrace, and for a while they just hugged each other. "Oh Ruth, how I missed you!"  
"I missed you too. I'm sorry, it was a lot to take in; and by the time I realised I loved you anyway, it was somehow too late."  
"It's all right, I imagine it must be disconcerting to find out you're in love with the Sea Witch!"  
"Can we walk, like we used to, please? I know it's going to be a bit strange after what happened, but I want to try and make this work." And they walked hand in hand on the cliff paths like they had in the summer.

They were walking likewise a few days later, when Ruth raised the question of Hogmanay; "Mhairi, would you like to come to the Hogmanay ceilidh my father hosts for the village?"  
"Well, I have been a few times before, and I was intending to attend again this year..."  
"No, I mean, would you come with me? And maybe stay over afterwards..." Ruth paused for a moment, then added hurriedly, "I'll get a guest room made up"  
"You know it will be a bit odd, don't you?" asked the Sea Witch, "because you mustn't tell people who I am, and they will tend to not really notice me, not even your father..."  
"I know, but I still want to go to the ceilidh with you, if you would?"  
"A date, then!" the Sea Witch smiled, "I would be delighted."

So they danced together at Hogmanay, and Ruth introduced the Sea Witch to a number of the villages, who all said they thought they'd seen Mhairi around Kinlochaiteig sometimes but didn't pursue the topic. As the last dance faded away, Ruth said to the Sea Witch "Let's go, my father will be saying good night to folk for ages, and it's late", and led her off to the side of the house where her room and the guest rooms were. "The master suite is on the other side of the house," she explained, "so he shouldn't disturb you when he goes to bed. Here's your room." And Ruth kissed the Sea Witch and retired to her own room.

The Sea Witch was at the point of getting into bed when there came a quiet knock on her door. She opened it to Ruth, who was in her pyjamas.  
"Can I come in?" Ruth asked.  
"Uh, certainly"  
"Oh, lovely night-gown, very retro!" The Sea Witch rolled her eyes at that "Sorry, I mean, it suits you"  
"What are you doing, other than mocking my night-wear?" demanded the Sea Witch, "Miss cutesy tartan jim-jams?"  
Ruth blushed, "Well, I told my father you'd be sleeping in a guest room; I didn't say what I'd be doing..."

There was a pause; the Sea Witch left Ruth hanging for a moment or two, before relenting "So, are you going to kiss me?" They kissed passionately; then Ruth pulled away, and was suddenly a little shy again. "You remember the day I sang for you? I mean, before you told me you were the Sea Witch and I freaked out? I thought we might have, y'know, that day... and ever since I've wondered what it would be like for you to take my clothes off and to have your hands and mouth all over me..." They kissed again, then the Sea Witch started to unbutton Ruth's pyjama top, kissing as she went; she slipped the top off and then knelt in front of Ruth, caressed her buttocks and kissed her just below her navel at the waist-band of her pyjamas. "Should I carry on?"  
"Yes!"  
The Sea Witch ran her thumbs under the waist-band, and looked up, catching Ruth's gaze in hers and asked with a grin, "Say please!"  
"Oh God, Mhairi, please!" Ruth was surprised at the hunger in her voice, and the Sea Witch needed no further encouragement.

#### 

***

The remaining years of Ruth's degree flew past. When she got back to Kinlochaiteig after graduation, the Sea Witch was waiting for her at their usual meeting place. "Congratulations!" said the Sea Witch, embracing Ruth, "I always knew you were clever as well as beautiful." And she took Ruth by the hand and led her towards the now-familiar bay where they often went swimming together. "I have a gift for you," she said, "you have sometimes asked about seeing me make something with magic, so I'm going to make your graduation present."

By the time they got to the shore, the wind was already beginning to pick up. "Are you all right?" asked the Sea Witch, seeing the look on Ruth's face.  
"Yes, just, I think I sometimes forget what you being the Sea Witch means. Though. Would you mind looking like you do when you appear to people as the Sea Witch while you work this spell?"  
"Are you sure?" asked the Sea Witch, "This might be a bit weird..."  
Ruth nodded, so the Sea Witch put her hand into the sea and flicked water over herself; as she did so she changed, and was suddenly an old woman in a black dress with a black shawl and hooded cloak. The wind blew stronger, and the sea became wilder, and as bigger and bigger waves crashed against the rocks on which she stood, the Sea Witch began to weave. Ruth stood transfixed as the Sea Witch wove a dense fabric and fashioned a traveller's cloak from it; and as she worked she would sometimes cast an appraising eye at Ruth, to make sure the cloak would fit her well. When she was done, she set down her work, and clapped her hands. At that, the wind began to die down, the clouds dispersed, and the sea calmed. She then clicked her fingers and returned to her normal appearance.

Ruth just stood there, stunned. "Wow. That was quite something."

The Sea Witch gathered up the cloak she had just made, and presented it to Ruth. "Ruth, daughter of Thomas! Receive this cloak, freely given by myself to mark your graduation. It will keep you warm and dry wherever your travels in life take you.". Ruth took it from her, and wrapped it round her. "Wow, Mhairi, thank you! It fits perfectly. It's beautiful!"

She thought for a little longer. "But why does this feel like a parting gift?" The Sea Witch looked sad. "You have just graduated and the world is your oyster; you want to try and make a career as a musician, which you're hardly going to be able to do in Kinlochaiteig, are you? I truly did not set out to make a parting gift, but now you say so it does have that feeling to it."

Ruth rolled her eyes. "Hey, I get a say in this, don't I? I've thought about what to do next quite a bit this last year. Yes, I want to try and make a go of being a musician. And yes, that's going to mean touring. And I know you live in Kinlochaiteig, and that's not going to change; and that the live music scene here is pretty limited. And heck, you seem likely to live almost forever, and goodness knows how that will work. But I love you, and I want to make my home with you, here; and I want to work these things out with you."

There was a moment's pause then, when the only sound was the sea breaking on the shore. Ruth, having made up her mind, broke the silence. "Mhairi, will you marry me? You might think me young and foolish, but I know my own heart and mind, and both are certain that I want to marry you."

"Ah, Ruth," sighed the Sea Witch, "I would gladly wed you. But I am the Sea Witch, and you are Thomas Lennox's daughter. And, well, there are complications. You see, your father made a bargain with me a long time ago, and is failing to keep his end of it. He asked for too much and agreed a price no man should agree to - that he would give me his first-born on their 18th birthday."

Ruth was shocked and angry "My Dad gave me away? And you agreed?"

"Yes, although it was before you were born, and he was unwed at the time. I offered the traditional price that no man may bear for a thing that was too much to ask for. And he took it as he should surely not have, and so the bargain was made." The Sea Witch paused, sad. "Now you have offered yourself to me, I had to tell you, but I could not before since your father had to give you up of his own free will. And perhaps now you will change your mind. But remember what I have told you before - you are under no magical influence from me."

"I suppose," Ruth began after a pause, "that I shouldn't still be surprised at how many secrets you have, Mhairi. Is there anything else you're not telling me?"

"There is one more thing you need to consider, although it is not itself a secret. If we are wed, you will have another difficult decision to make. You can decide to live out your normal span of years, in which case the folk of Kinlochaiteig will gradually forget why you seem to live by yourself just outside the village and I will have to watch you age and die; or you can decide you wish to live as long as I (which may be very long indeed) and you will watch your friends age and pass away, and you will slowly slip out of the minds of the folk of Kinlochaiteig and when you go to the village people will recognise you but not know who you are, like they react to me. And, when the time finally comes, we will slip away together into the deeps."

"Well." Ruth was still a bit shaken. "That's a lot to take in. When do I have to decide stuff like that? And what do I say to my father?"

"You have to decide by our wedding day. And I'm afraid you must not say anything to your father about my being the Sea Witch; once we are wed (or, indeed, you wed someone else) then I must confront him about his unkept bargain."

"Someone else? What are you suggesting?"

"When you marry, your life is entwined with another's and at that point your father has abandoned his promise rather than merely failed to attend to it at the promised time." The Sea Witch noticed Ruth's look "Ah, right. It is still the case that you are free to find someone more normal to marry, and maybe after all this, you'd..."

"Enough!" cried Ruth, "I'm not sure I'll ever be entirely used to the idea of you being the Sea Witch, and it's pretty weird this bargain you struck with my father, and I don't quite know what to think about that. But I love you, and want to marry you, so if you want to marry me than say yes and stop suggesting I might marry someone else!"

The Sea Witch smiled. "Yes. Yes, Ruth, I will gladly marry you. I'm sorry for all the complications, and I'm sorry they came first rather than this: in all my years I have never fallen in love, and had given up hope of ever doing so, until I met you, my love."

And they kissed and embraced, long and lovingly. After a while, Ruth said with a laugh "We'll have to get you decent broadband, though!"

#### 

***

Their wedding day, a couple of years later, dawned bright and clear. Ruth and the Sea Witch met at the church door and processed down the aisle together, in matching dresses in a deep-sea blue which shimmered as if their colour were stirred by unseen currents. The church was filled with the residents of Kinlochaiteig and Ruth's friends from university, and it was a truly joyous occasion.

The wedding breakfast in the village hall passed without incident, until at the end of the speeches, when Ruth turned to her father and asked him "Why do you wear a driftwood necklace? Aren't they things given by the Sea Witch?" Thomas looked a little pale, and fingered it nervously, "Yes, it was..."

"Well, then," said Ruth, "let's see what she has to say on our wedding day!", and she reached over and snapped it between her fingers.

At that moment there was a great peal of thunder, rain began to beat on the roof, and the hall doors burst open. If anyone had looked at the top table, they would have seen a space where Ruth's bride had been sitting, but of course everyone turned to look at the doors where in strode the Sea Witch, looking like the old woman of legend, and it was as if she were clad in the stormy sea itself, for her cloak rose and fell like the waves and if you looked at it too long you saw the ruins of ancient ship-wrecks in its depths.

The Sea Witch strode to the top table, and everyone stared at her. "Thomas Lennox!" she cried, and her voice was the crashing of doomed ships onto rocks, "You have abandoned your promise to the Sea Witch! Your wealth is not yours by virtue of labour, but was given by my magics! And for a price, which you have not paid! Confess to this company what you promised me!"

Thomas blanched, and could hardly get a word out. "I promised you," he stammered, "I promised you my first-born, freely given on their eighteenth birthday."

At this there was a shocked gasp from the room, as they realised both the terrible thing he had promised and that he had not kept the bargain.

"And yet," continued the Sea Witch, "years later your first-born has married, with your consent, and at no point did you seek out the Sea Witch to settle your debt! You are forsworn and cannot pay your due!"

The only noise in the hall was the rain hammering on the roof.

Ruth stood, and spoke to her father, though clearly enough for the whole room to hear. "You traded me away before I was born, mortgaged my future to your greed and vanity. And you never told me! You were too cowardly to face up to what you'd done." Then she turned and addressed the assembled company. "Remember what he did, remember his shame. But also," and at this point her tone softened, "remember his good fortune. For I, of my own free will, fell in love with Mhairi there..." And at this point the Sea Witch's appearance shifted back to her true form, and she walked up to Ruth and embraced her. "...who you all know as the Sea Witch. So my father is forsworn, but you have heard the Sea Witch and myself freely give ourselves to each other. So I guess he gets off on a technicality!"

There was some nervous laughter. "But seriously," she continued, "today is about me and Mhairi getting married, and celebrating with our friends and neighbours. And since my beloved does like to show off sometimes, she's erected a temporary structure in the harbour for this evening's festivities. So if you'd all like to follow us..." and the happy couple walked out into what was again a sunny day, and down towards the harbour.

They were followed by their wedding guests, who were initially a little confused, and then amazed at what they saw. For there in the harbour was a great hall of glass and coral like nothing they had ever seen before. And there a band played and people danced until late into the night. Long afterwards people remembered it as a wonderful occasion, although they were surprised that no-one seemed to have thought to photograph the reception venue.

Ruth and the Sea Witch got back to the Sea Witch's dwelling exhausted but happy. Ruth turned to the Sea Witch and asked "You haven't asked me about the decision I have to make today; about whether I am going to live a normal life or carry on like you?" "Indeed not," the Sea Witch answered, a little sadly, "I trusted you to make your decision, and tell me when you were ready to. And truthfully, I am a little anxious as to what you have decided - will I have to bury my beloved in what will feel to me like a very short time, or will I have changed her so she will slip away from humanity? I am sorry that you had to make such a decision."

Ruth kissed her, and then sighed. "Mhairi, you make it sound so sad. You've changed me, I've changed you, we will both keep changing as time goes by. I will be by your side until we slip away together into the deeps." She kissed her again, and began to unlace her gown "Now, why don't you show me how we should spend that time...?"

And so to this day if you go far enough to the North West and are very lucky you may hear the Sea Witch's wife singing to her beloved as the sun sets over the ocean.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Yuletide! Thank you for pointing me at this fascinating picture, which inspired this longer-than-usual story...
> 
> [there is a missing (sex) scene in Madness, [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28116666)]

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [You Make Me Complete](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28116666) by [republic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/republic/pseuds/republic)




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